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  3. American Economic Review
  4. May 2017
  5. Gender Gap in High-Growth Ventures: Evidence from a University Venture Mentoring Program

Gender Gap in High-Growth Ventures: Evidence from a University Venture Mentoring Program

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Abstract

We track high-growth ventures from the idea stage to commercialization and investigate the nature of the gender gap early in the venture lifecycle. Using data on 651 venture ideas that collectively attracted over $700 million in venture financing, we find a significant gender gap among ventures without documented intellectual assets at the earliest stage of founding but not among ventures that already possess intellectual assets. We also find a gender gap in entrepreneurs' readiness to commit to their venture ideas full-time. Conditional on such commitment, there are no significant differences in ventures' access to venture financing or rate of commercialization.

Citation

Scott, Erin L., and Pian Shu. 2017. "Gender Gap in High-Growth Ventures: Evidence from a University Venture Mentoring Program." American Economic Review, 107 (5): 308-11. DOI: 10.1257/aer.p20171009

Additional Materials

JEL Classification

  • G24 Investment Banking; Venture Capital; Brokerage; Ratings and Ratings Agencies
  • G32 Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
  • I23 Higher Education; Research Institutions
  • I26 Returns to Education
  • J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
  • L26 Entrepreneurship
  • M13 New Firms; Startups